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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were considered. It was an comprehensive process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s tactical system and priority on possession made him the most suitable for Chelsea’s team of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his big break. Passed over by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham hired the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding major roles. Theirs is not yet a established rivalry, but they shared some tight duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more interesting by the tactical differences between the coaches. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to execute an array of deadly set-piece routines, whereas Maresca leans towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he values dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their most impressive showings have come in games where they have ceded the possession. They were outstanding with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an impressive pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results point to Spurs ought to sit back when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The numbers are awful. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home matches is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a tricky game to call. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a shortage of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Still, there is room for development, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash sending off during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s dismissal from the touchline during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is suspended for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Irritation grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Numbers indicating that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their key approach is being exploited and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a new issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, highlighting a flaw when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The risk is slipping into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the worry also applies here.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their most impressive performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a positive attribute. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have room to attack.

Will Frank give them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be more cautious. Is a switch to a back five on the cards? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily align with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a considerable creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in general play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the result may excuse the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a cautious approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Victory would ignite Frank’s reign. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.